Laura Bushney, an Australian citizen, has finally gone public about her alleged sexual assault ordeal at the hands of a Malaysia Airlines chief steward.

In an interview with Sunday Night aired on Australia's Channel Seven today, Bushney said the chief steward had massaged her legs under the guise of "comforting her".
        
According to Yahoo! Australia, Bushney said she could not react as she was terrified when the incident occurred on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH20 from Kuala Lumpur to Paris on Aug 4.

"I just kept saying why didn’t I scream, why didn't I shout? Why didn't I stop it? I am a strong person because I can do that, I know I can," she was quoted as saying in the interview.

An audio recording, via mobile phone, of the incident was also released where Bushney was heard sobbing as she murmured: "He's massaging my legs... I'm so scared, I just want to get off this plane."

According to the report, Bushney said the air steward, who had placed his hands on her legs, then proceeded to move his hands towards her belly button but she pushed him away.

The programme also interviewed Sophie Lachance, another passenger who was alerted to the incident.

Bushney had sought Lachance's help after she told the steward to get her something to drink.

"Somebody touched my arm … and I remember I woke up and I saw her face full of tears and she was sobbing really, really strong," Lachance was quoted as saying.

Bushney complained to the police at Charles De Gaulle Airport after landing in Paris.

The report said the assailant, who is a union figure, had since admitted to the police of the incident.

It added that Malaysia Airlines has since confirmed that the sexual assault allegation was made by one of its passenger against a cabin crew member.

"The member of staff in question has been detained for questioning by the French police.

"Malaysia Airlines expects and accepts nothing short of the highest standards of conduct from its crew and takes any such allegation very seriously," the airline was quoted as saying.

The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of MAS after the airline lost two of its aircraft this year, one being shot down over Ukraine and the whereabouts of the other still a mystery.